Hey guys.. Finally I got my first own Digital Camera...
Nikon P80..10.1 MP sensor with 18 x optical Nikkor lens...

guys... need some inputs for my first camera. i plan to buy Canon 450D.

i know nothing about photography! but when my friends said i am spending a lot more time with their camera, choosing angles, styles... checking out sky, grass and what not, i realized i am crazy and need one. for a click and go snap, they dont hand me a cam now!

i have followed p&c thread for quite sometime and many of them are simply fabulous. sadly, i tried to understand all those technical words but everything was greek and latin. so i need practical knowledge on them and work on it.

i am in for an entry level DSLR. something that is good for a beginner, but an interested beginner is a beginner only a short time. after a couple of snaps from a click and shoot cam(guess thats what they call it) it becomes kind of boring and i wish there was more to it...

so i decided on 450D (dont ask me why, i seriously dont know why!). maybe because brand names work on me. nikon is expensive and sony is not that great at pro level is what i heard. so jumped for canon.

so... any advise on what i should be buying and would turn out to be a good deal ? (not moneywise, qualitywise... but if same config then moneywise.)

thanks for reading.

@Bandhav:The P80 is a digital camera, calling it a D-SLR would be disrespect..

@Shadez: As we all have been saying time and again, I would again say that buying a D-SLR is not the end of the story; on the contrary, it is just the first step. You will need to get lenses in the long run, and that is where the expenses are!

Moreover, since you do not generally click pictures, getting a D-SLR directly would even confuse you further, trust me. I would sincierly suggest you get a digital camera first, whether buy one or perhaps use one from your friend/ relative/ anyone. Get familiar with the functions, the handling, et al and only then move on to the D-SLR stage.

Thinking you would get a 450D first and you will learn to click automatically would be sure foolishness. Trust me on this! The plethora of options that would be available to you would be absolutely mind-boggling. Ofcourse, you would eventually get an hold of it, but it is really not worth the pain. Just get to use a digital camera, use it real nicely, only then get a D-SLR.

As for the technical knowledge, read up - internet, books, anything. There is loads of information available on literally anything on the internet. So, my suggestion to you would be this : Before splurging on your hard earned 25-30k on a SLR, get a cheap digital camera (whether buy it or borrow it) and use that, click loads of pictures. Then, if you feel that you really need a D-SLR, THEN get one. I use a 400D as well as a Canon Powershot S3 IS, and I still find the S3 bemusing me at times. Bottom line is, with photography, the learning curve will NEVER end.

One more important point I would like to mention here is, if you upgrade from a digital camera, you would really appreciate the fine "points" of a D-SLR. It would then be really worth every single penny.

Thanks Aryan. points taken. cost for 450D is rs34132.5 ie getting in from UK. but thats big money(atleast for me) so was in a big dilemma.
my friends have S3IS and its pretty good. and S5IS comes in half the price of 450D.

could you tell me your views on S5IS and its competitors? the best buy for people like me.
thanks in advance!

Thirty Four thousand rupees is big money for most of us, including me. If you really feel that it is worth it, then by all means get one. I was contemplating on getting the 450D at one stage, but then I really didn't think spending 5-7k more on the 450D would be worth it, and I haven't regretted my decision one bit. I LOVE the 400D for what it is - a superb D-SLR for an amateur like me who is starting out.

As for the S5 IS, I am not too sure how good/ bad that camera is, but I can give you an honest opinion about the S3 IS. The Canon Powershot S3 IS is a terrific camera! It can do anything you want it to and then some. Moreover, the 12X optical zoom is a boon in certain cases (although there are digi cams now-a-days that can shoot both at wide angle [28mm or less!] all the way to 20x or so, which is phenomenal).

I have shot LOADS of pictures with the S3 and I still do on occassions, when I need to do some 'close up' photography (what manufacturers term as "macro"). But since I have got the Canon 100mm macro lens sometime back, the S3 mostly stays indoors now-a-days. But nevertheless, there is not a single time that I have not really been satisfied with the results of that camera. Ofcourse, you cannot expect clarity at ISO800 from a digital camera; there is that much that a digital camera's sensor can acheive.

Bottomline is this - if you are looking for an affordable solution, if you are not really deep into photography (yet), and most imporantly if you want to "learn" really rather than brainstorm, then get a digital camera. It's simple, precise and with lots of aid, really forgiving.

PPanasonic premieres ZS3 / TZ7 with AVCHD lite video: Digital Photography Review

thanks Aryan. yup i have laid my hands on s3is. its a great cam and i find it easy to operate actually.

thanks mate. the review is terrific. but April! and my friend will be back 2nd week of feb. now i i feel the same like waiting for baby ninja!
how much would it cost btw? anything similar that i can pull out now or do i wait for it?

oooh!.... TZ5 is whats available now, it has a wide range too (28mm - 280mm), costs about $300(dont have the exact price).

Full review of TZ5
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Review: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review

Its TZ15 in India : LUMIX DMC-TZ15 | Digital Camera | Digital AV | Panasonic India

why the change in names in different places? read the same in dpreview for other cameras from jap and us.
its tight comparison between s5is and tz5. 10x and 12x zoom, both high iso auto... and lens of s5is says '36 - 432 mm equiv'. and what the hell does this mean:
(3 Aspherical Lenses / 4 Aspherical surfaces, 1 ED lens)
(1 aspherical element, 1 UD element)
the more i learn the more confused i am.

Don't get into the technical specifications of the lens just yet; take it slow. Don't get so much confused as to scare yourself away from it Shadez.

^ yeah true brother... thanks. its just that i gotto choose one by friday night ie if i am game for it and cant wait for tz7 (shark has seriously got me confused )

@Shadez: Is there any 'Manual' mode in TZ-7? I don't suppose so, although I could be wrong. Get a camera which has 'M' controls, as you would surely be using it eventually. Having manual control over the exposure, aperture, etc. would always be an added advantage. You might think you would never use it, but believe you me, once you start to get the hang of the camera, your camera would most certainly be used in the manual mode. So, do check that for sure before spending on a camera.

thanks mate. so the tz gets a wider picture but s5 gives more zoom right?

googled a lot but couldnt find anything mentioned on manual mode for tz. guess it doesnt have it.

choosing between wide angle and manual/macro options, i think i will opt for the second. so s5is it is then.
thanks again both of ya...

On the Contrary ....

Shadez- Seeing ur enthu I think u WILL be a fast learner. If u are really interested then learning basic technicals is hours work .The advanced techniques about the camera u'll learn by time.... An example is crazylord who understood the func of my DSLR in 30 min time and took breathtaking shots for my wedding .

I think u should go for a DSLR if u have made up ur mind. And yes have some basis for the camera you choose (450D seems to be a random selection in a hurry) ...

If u are on budget then go for a Sony A200 or a Nikon D40x. I would vote for Nikon as I am using it happily for almost past two years.And being cheap bodies , still u can use it for life, all u have to do is to upgrade lenses.

being a fast learner (as I can see in u) u'll get an urge(khujli precisley) for more options than in any P&S cam by the time passes by.

^^ above statements are based on my personal experience. 2 years back I went to the store to purchase a Canon S3-IS and came out with a Nikon D40. I had ZERO experience in photography then, I had to google to find the full form of D-S-L-R after buying the camera. I wanted a camera for home use actually, but now the cam is not at all in use for the purpose I bought it for. Its only used for creative shots now and m still discovering the hidden funcs which is real fun.

But now I am in no plan to decommission or sell this camera, m so happy with it, but still in a plan to go for a new DSLR when I get new khujli. Now there is a khujli to get new lenses, and for u as a fresher saving 15k odd bucks in a year shouldn't be a big deal.

-----------------
if the above story is not impressive then I think u shud try Olympus Sp-590. I was impressed with the feature and price balance of this camera. This camera is better than FZ-28.
TZ-7 is a novice camera and will not let u learn fundas of pro photography, in a way it'll not prepare you for high end cameras, photos and photography.